New Features in Solaris Express 3/06

This section describes all features that are new or have been enhanced in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

32-bit: The `gnome-pilot` Utility

This desktop feature is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

The gnome-pilot utility enables Palm users to synchronize their calendars, contacts and task lists between Evolution and their devices on the Solaris OS. This feature also enables the Palm user to back up and restore their devices on the Solaris Operating System (Solaris OS). The gnome-pilot feature supports synchronization with the PalmOS 4.x and the PalmOS 5.x.

`IP_NEXTHOP` Socket Option

This networking enhancement is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

The IP_NEXTHOP is a new IP-level socket option that specifies the address of the next hop for the traffic that originates from the socket. An application that has the IP_NEXTHOP option set bypasses the routing table lookups on the destination and sends packets directly to the specified onlink nexthop.

Note - The thread that sets the IP_NEXTHOP option must have the PRIV_SYS_NET_CONFIG privilege.

Basic Registration 1.1

This system administration feature is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

Basic Registration 1.1 enables you to create a registration profile and ID to automate your Solaris software registrations. The software registration user interface has been changed. The procedure for registering Solaris software has also been changed in Basic Registration 1.1.

For more information about the software registration user interface changes and step-by-step instructions about how to register your Solaris software, see the System Administration Guide: Basic Administration.

Sun Update Connection

This system administration feature is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

Sun^SM Update Connection, System Edition product now supports the default patchadd behavior from a global zone on a system where one or more non-global zones are installed.

For more information about the Sun Update Connection suite of products, see http://docs.sun.com/app/docs/coll/1320.2.

AES Counter Mode

This security enhancement is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) is a block cipher recommended by the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST). When used in counter mode, a counter block is encrypted and the result is XOR with a block of plain text to produce cipher text. The counter mode is useful with block devices because the encryption or decryption of a block does not depend upon the prior encryption or decryption of any other block. The counter mode has been approved by NIST. This feature is only available to kernel consumers.

For more information, see the libpkcs11(3LIB) man page.

x86: SATA HBA Framework Support

This driver is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

The Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA) HBA framework project delivers a generic SATA framework for the Marvell 88SX60xx, Marvell 88SX50xx, and the Silicon Image 3124 controllers. The new SATA HBA drivers and framework provide native support for accessing SATA controllers and disks. These drivers provide features, such as hot plugging and queueing of multiple commands that are unique to SATA. These SATA drivers interface with the sd (target disk) driver and support the sd functionality.

For more information, see the following man pages:

Coherent Console

This console subsystem feature is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

The coherent console feature implements a part of the kernel console subsystem to facilitate rendering console output, The coherent console uses the Solaris kernel mechanisms to render console output rather than Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM) interfaces. This reduces the console rendering dependence on OnBoot PROM (OBP).

The coherent console uses a kernel-resident framebuffer driver to generate console output. The generated console output is more efficient than using OBP rendering. The coherent console also avoids idling CPUs during SPARC console output and enhances the user experience.

For example, the coherent console increases the SPARC console text throughput and scrolling rate and provides ANSI color.

x86: Xorg X Server Version 6.9

This X11 windowing feature enhancement is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

The Xorg X Server for x86 and x64 platforms has been upgraded from version 6.8.2 to version 6.9 by the X.Org Foundation and the open source community. The new version adds support for more graphics devices including new models from ATI, XGI, VIA, and Intel. The Xorg X Server version 6.9 also adds keyboard and mouse handling improvements, performance enhancements, and bug fixes.

For further information, see the Xorg(1) man page.

Resource Pools Service FMRIs

This system resource enhancement is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

Resource pools and dynamic resource pools have been integrated into the Solaris Service Management Framework Facility (SMF). The dynamic resource pools are now enabled separately from the resource pools service.

The Fault Management Resource Identifier (FMRI) for dynamic resource pools service is: svc:/system/pools/dynamic. The resource pools service FMRI is: svc:/system/pools. The enabling and disabling mechanisms through pooladm command are also still available.

Note that when a system with pools enabled is upgraded, if an /etc/pooladm.conf file exists, the pools service is enabled.

For more information, see the System Administration Guide: Virtualization Using the Solaris Operating System. See also the following man pages:

32-bit: RealPlayer for the Solaris OS

This additional software is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

RealPlayer enables users to access and manage digital media. RealPlayer supports the following digital media formats:

RealAudio
RealVideo
MP3
Ogg Vorbis and Theora
H263
AAC

The RealPlayer feature enhances the multimedia experience for Java Desktop System (JDS) users.

Zero-CountryCode Keyboard Layout Support

This language support enhancement is new in the Solaris Express 3/06 release.

This feature provides a new command option kbd -s language. This option enables users to configure keyboard layouts in kernel. The Zero-CountryCode keyboard layout feature is particularly useful on SPARC systems. In prior releases, all “non-self-ID keyboards” were always recognized as US layout keyboard on SPARC systems.

For more information, see kbd(1) man page.

Using Compact Flash as ATA Disk

This system resource enhancement is new in Solaris Express 3/06 release.

Compact Flash (CF) can be used as an Advanced Technology Attachment (ATA) disk with a CF<->ATA adapter. Using CF as an ATA disk provides a reliable bootable program and data storage device. This feature also improves the flexibility and reliability of the storage solution for your PC or application.

For more information, see the ata(7D) man page.

Zone Move and Clone Features in the Solaris Containers Technology

This system resources enhancement is new in Solaris Express 3/06 release.

Two new subcommands, moveand clone, have been added to the zoneadm command. Zone move and clone features enable the following operations:

Relocate a non-global zone from one point on a system to another point on the same system
Rapidly provision a new non-global zone based on the configuration of an existing zone on the same system

For more information, see the zoneadm(1M) man page. See also theSystem Administration Guide: Virtualization Using the Solaris Operating System.